The Crown Prince and Princess
by Spleriia Emperor Splerii
Summary: When Kalir Kian Kerano's flight went disastrously wrong, he finds himself stranded in the vast African grasslands without such survival gear nor prospects of survival. The Splenish heir thought that death was inevitable but he would be given a second life when he stumbled upon a gregarious group of lions and lionesses in a place called 'The Pride Lands'. Would he survive this fate?
1. Chapter 1

Above the skies that gazes down on the vast African grasslands, a vintage Etrich Taube monoplane was flying high over the scenery. Manning the flying machine was Crown Prince Kalir Kian Kerano, son and heir of Splenish Emperor Splero Spleriia Kerano. The anthropomorphic wolf-dog was being tasked by his father to fly from Tanganyika to Windhoek and back. The task was quite simple and the Splenish Crown Prince immediately took the job without any hesitation even though he wasn't used to fly through the skies above the African terrains below.

All of these would later be changed in just one fateful flight across.

...

In an airport somewhere in Tanganyika, Kalir was standing idly by near to the German-built Etrich Taube monoplane that he would be flying for the task in hand. As he tighten up his shoes that were in his clawed feet, his fellow best friend Malir walked towards him while holding a rolled scroll.

'I'm now here, Your Highness. Sorry for the delay.'

'That's okay, Malir.'

The timber wolf gave Kalir the scroll.

'What's this?'

'That's the scroll that you need to pass down on the Namibian delegations at a conference that was held in Windhoek.'

'Really?'

'Yeah.'

'I see. Can I open it to check it out?'

'No, Kalir.'

'Come on, Malir. Would you please let me do it for a bit?'

The timber wolf groaned.

'I said 'no', Your Highness. Your father told me not to let you open that scroll because the Namibians would like to read it in perfect condition.'

Kalir sulked a bit.

'Great. There goes the redundant secrets then.'

'Well. That's the Emperor's orders, Kalir. You already know that he was a bit conservative nowadays.'

'It happen before and it would pass.'

'I don't believe that would going to happen.'

'Why not?'

'I dunno.'

'What do you mean that you don't know?'

Malir shrugged his shoulders. Kalir scoffed as he boarded on the Taube. He placed the scroll beside him and started the engine while Malir removed the wheel blocks. As the propeller spins fast, the Crown Prince donned his flying goggles.

'Regent'

'Yeah?'

'Tell my father back that I'm heading to Namibia as requested. I'm going off now.'

'Alright, Kalir. Good Luck out there!'

'Thanks. Bye!'

Malir saluted to Kalir as the plane started to move, gained speed and took off into the skies. At that moment, he was now off to his destination.

...

As the plane started to fly through the skies above the towns and fields that surrounds Tanganyika, Kalir kept his flight harness on as he piloted the old World War One-era monoplane further up. He sighs in relief while the headwinds makes him open his mouth and let his tongue dangle on one side.

'Ah, yes. I love the strong headwinds!'

Kalir closed his mouth and he looked beside him. Placed firmly on the side of his seat, the rolled scroll was just jutting out from the upholstery. Curious to read it for himself, the canine carefully locked the control column and he tried to reach his paw for it. Just as his claws were merely a few inches from the scroll, a loud crack of thunder interrupted him much. He immediately hold control on the column.

'What the fuck?!'

Dark clouds started to swarm all around the surroundings. At that moment, Kalir realized that he was being caught flying within the vicinity of a dangerous line of cumulonimbus clouds that he never predicted beforehand. A heavy shower of rain cascaded down, followed by very strong head and tailwinds. Fearing for his life, the Akita wolf-dog tried to fly away from the towering thunderclouds. All was too late as a single bolt of lightning struck the plane's vulnerable wood-and-paper tail.

'No!'

As the plane nosedived towards the ground below at a neck-breaking speed, the rolled scroll was jarred loose and it flew away from the seat upholstery. This makes Kalir's heart skip a few beats.

'NOOO!'

The Crown Prince then looked forward and he could see the ground that was within a few hundred meters away. Desperately, the canine pilot undo his flight harnesses and he bailed out from the diving monoplane. The parachute that Kalir was wearing on opened up in time as he continued on seeing the plane go down and disappeared in the clouds. A loud explosion was then heard echoing while the sound of the thunder drowns it out. Holding tightly on the straps of his deployed emergency parachute, Kalir was in a state of extreme shock and disbelief.

All what he could do now was wait for his slow yet safe descent to the ground below. He had cheated death. For now.


	2. Chapter 2

The heavy rains continued to shower down as Kalir finally landed to the ground. After a rough landing on the muddy grassland, the Crown Prince discharged his used parachute and took a good glimpse on the other necessities that was remaining for his own discretion. Looking near to his parachute, Kalir only have a survival kit, a first aid kit and a military canteen filled with half of safe drinking water as well for his imperial saber, a knife and his standard-issued Mauser C-96 pistol stamped with Chinese and German markings. With an amount of gear that would barely accommodate for his long survival, the canine sighed tensely.

'Damn. All these for being stranded?'

A loud explosion caught the Akita wolf-dog's attention. Immediately, he stood up and went to the source of the explosion. After covering a short distance away from his landing spot, Kalir could finally see the still-burning wreckage of his downed Etrich Taube. As the rainfall doused the remaining flames that were devouring it, the imperial heir started a quick check for anything that he could still use. Luckily for Kalir, he found a survival radio, a belt kit and a charred yet still-functioning Hanyang 88 carbine. Without any delays, he took them out and returned back to the parachute site. As he walked away, Kalir could look back at the smoldering wreckage of his favorite plane for the very last time.

'I guess this would be the end of my flying days then.'

With a sad sigh, the survivor started to trek the vast grasslands that were all around him.

...

An hour had passed and the rain hasn't been stopped yet. His fur and uniform were totally soaked and he started to sneeze numerous times.

'Rain, rain, go away. I am drenched, cold and sore.'

Kalir looked up and he saw a large tree nearby. Quickly, the Crown Prince took shelter under it as he lowered down his remaining gear on the muddy soil. Hunkered down, he could now rest after a tiring trek from the crash site.

'I hope this is the right time for me to send a distress call.'

Grabbing the survival radio from his parachute that he improvises as a knapsack, Kalir switched it on and send a few words out on the static airwaves.

'2-5, 2-5. This is Kilo-Alpha-Zulu. My plane had been struck by lightning. Plane was totaled but I safely bailed out. Requesting medivac on coordinates 2-5-N-3-0-N-W. Please respond. Over.'

...

Nothing responded. Kalir tried it again.

'2-5, this is Kilo-Alpha-Zulu. Requesting search and rescue on coordinates 2-5-N-3-0-N-W. Please respond. Over.'

...

There's no reply, apart from static. Realizing that the call was futile, Kalir switched the radio off. A voice then called out at him.

'Oi! Oi, you there!'

'Hmm?'

The Akita canine looked around in an attempt to find the source of the voice. Kalir looked up on the branches and he saw a male mandrill hanging on the thick branches with a fairly long wooden on the other hand.

'What are you doing in there, eh? You were so soaked up from the rain.'

'Oh. Y-Yeah. I know. Sorry about that.'

'You better find some shelter to keep yourself warm right now or else you will get sick down there!'

'I...I can't.'

'Why not?'

'Because I'm...I'm lost.'

The mandrill felt sympathetic. He then swings down towards him.

'Hmm. You don't looked like a lion to me.'

Kalir went confused to the baboon's comment.

'W-What? No, I'm not. I'm just a Akita.'

'A-Ki-What?'

'A-Ki...Ermm...Ummm...D-D-Dog! Yes. Dog. I'm just a dog alright. Not a lion or anything else.'

'I see.'

The mandrill chuckled. Kalir felt a bit uncomfortable and he tried to reach his paw for his sidearm but the primate stopped him.

'Would you like to share your moment on top of my very home?'

'What? Oh! I mean...Y-Yes. Please. T-Thank you so much.'

'Alright then. Follow me then.'

The mandrill started to climb up to the treetop while Kalir remained on the ground.

'Come on, friend! Come!'

'O-Okay. Hang on there, will ya?'

Kalir then prepared his knife and the claws that was on his left paw. The canine Crown Prince started to climb up the enormous tree. After a slightly tiring climb, he finally reached the top. Inside a spacious corner of the tree, he could see some artful paintings on the inner bark of the tree, some hanging fruits, flowers and leaves that looked like festoons. As Kalir lowered down his belongings, the mandrill bowed down as he introduced the place and himself.

'Welcome to the Tree of Life - the humble home of Rafiki.'

'I see. Wait. Who's Rafiki?'

'I am!'

'Oh. S-Sorry.'

Rafiki chuckled a bit and he lowered down his staff on one corner.

'What brings you here? Are you a hunter?'

'Umm...I'm not a hunter alright. I'm just a pilot flying from a faraway city. Unfortunately, my plane that I been piloting on was struck by lightning. Good thing I survived but this left me nearly some things that could barely support for my survival in this wilderness.'

'Oh. Nonsense on calling this vast place 'wilderness', friend! This is one of the greatest place that was given to us by our ancestor from above.'

'What would you say that?'

'Because I'm telling you the solid truth. You're now standing on the grounds of one of the greatest kings that I ever served for life.'

Kalir was slightly surprised.

'I...I did?'

'Yeah. In fact, I could take you to the king so that you could see and meet him yourself. How about that, eh?'

'Hmm. I suppose so.'

'Great!'

Rafiki laughed in joy as he handshakes Kalir with his own hands.

'This is a joyous moment that I wanted to mingle onto someone else. What's your name?'

'My name's Kalir, R-Rafiki.'

'Kalir, eh? What a foreign name there alright. Sounds exquisite too.'

The Splenish heir chuckled nervously.


End file.
